Lettuce packing



Oct. 5, 1943; F. J. M CANN LET'I'UCE PACKING Filed Feb. 24, 1941 'f'tqurazs 4 rrquam 1 INVENTOF? ATTORNEY i Patented Oct. 5, 1 943 UNITE ,STAT S PATENT, ;;QEFl'CEj j 1 "LETTUCE PACKING I 1 Frank McCann, Salinas Calif. H ApplicationFebruary 24,1941, SerialNol 38lL298 5 Claims. (01. 217 -3) In the present method of packing lettuce there are two paper crate liners used that are inserted in the crate before the lettuce is packed,

one sheet of liner covering the width of the crate at the bottom and overlapped from both sides on the top layer of the lettuce, and the I other sheetextending lengthwise of the crate and up its ends to overlap the top layer of heads and ice. In lining the crate in this manner, openings or cracks are left on the four corners of the crate between the adjacent paper ed'ges,.

openings through which the water resulting from the melting of ice readily flows.

When the crates are packed, with intervening spaces filled with ice and with a layer of crushed. ice on top of the top layer of heads, and with the cover secured thereon, they are stacked on their sides in the cars in which they are shipped because the curved shape of their tops makes upright stacking impracticable. Now, of course when the crates are stacked in this manner the I water from the melting ice readily flows therefrom, but in the case of a loaded car this drainage is not objectionable. However, the same result obtains, when such crates are stacked in a shed, warehouse, or on the floor of the retail salesman, or in trucking and in such cases thev uncontrolled flow of water from melting ice is highly objectionable.

It is therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide a lettuce pack that will provide adequate control of the water resulting from the melting of ice in the crateswhereby leakage of the water may be entirely prevented when so desired.

It is another object of the inventionto provide a pack of. the character indicated whereby water accumulated in the pack maybe readily discharged therefrom when it is $0 desired.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a pack of the character indicated that will not require any material alteration in the packing procedure now in use, so that the same general routine may be followed.

Finally, it is an object of the invention to provide a method and means of the character indicated that will not materially increase the cost of packing, and that will enable the shipper to deliver his produce in distant markets in as good a condition as when first packed, and to so dis play them.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a crate arranged and packed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of thejsame.

Figure 3 is an enlargedsectional detail on line tion and therefore not described in detail. These crates are commonly constructed with spaced slats forming their sides as at 2, the intervening spaces being indicated at 3 In effecting my invention, I use a partial lining I of waterproof'paperl that is arranged ,to cover the inner surfaces of the'sides and ends of the crate and tray '6, hereinafter described, as indicated in Figure 3. In this figure, the tray 6 is first placed in the bottom of the crateand the lining 4 extends down to the bottom thereof as" indicated at 5.

At 6 is shown a I paper, pulp board or any other suitable material,

andhaving a length and breadth substantially equal to the inner dimensions of the crate, and

a height substantially equal to the height ofv the top edge I of the bottom slats 2.

The paper lining 4, which, too, may be made I of any suitable waterproof material, is providedwith-holes as 8 disposed in spaced relation to each other and so positionedas to lie in a. row just clearing the top edge of the tray and the top 4 edge of the bottom slat next thereto.

With these parts arranged as stated, the botf, tom layer of lettuce heads is deposited in the; tray Band the crate is packed andclosed' in the usualmannen. I I 1 The result of the pack described is, thatjwhile the crates are stacked loosely in the packing I shed, or before loading into a car, they may be stacked upright in any suitablemanner without any d'an-ger of water leakage upon the floor because an of the water forming at this time is 1 caught in the trays. v 7

During transit the crates may drain in the usual manner, but when the crates are delivered to the merchant he may again place them in an upright position so that 'all of the water from the melting ice willagain be caught in the trays. Thi pack permits the retail merchant to always,

present the lettuce in its original crate and in an attractive manner not possible when there is a continual leakage of water from the crate.

It is desirable not to remove ice-packedlettuce from the crate until sold, if possible, becausethe refrigeration is. then, of c c i 1,1 'se, -l os t. Under the tray made of heavy Waterproof system of packing heretofore in use the retail merchant had to unpack the lettuce or continually clean up the leaking water. By means of my invention he is enabled to leave the pack undisturbed, except by the sales therefrom, during the selling process, merely emptying the tray whenever necessary to prevent an accumulation of water in the tray or of leakage'of water on the floor.

I claim: I

l. A lettuce crate having a liquid retaining tray seated therein to cover the bottom thereof, and having side walls with moisture-proof linings extending over the side walls of the tray to the bottom thereof, said lining having water drainage openings formed therein immediately above the top edge of the tray.

2. A lettuce crate having a liquid retaining tray seated therein to cover the bottom thereof and having side walls with moisture-proof linings extending into the tray and provided with openings disposed immediately above the top edge of the tray.

3. A lettuce crate having a liquid retaining tray seated therein to cover the bottom thereof and having side walls with moisture-proof linings provided with water drainage openings disposed immediately above the top edge of the tray.

4. A lettuce crate having vertically spaced side slats and having a water retaining tray seated therein to cover the bottom thereof and extending upwardly substantially to the top edges of the bottom slats, the side walls of the crate and tray having a lining of moisture-proof material provided with water drainage openings disposed along the top edge of the tray.

5. A lettuce crate having vertically spaced side slats and having a moistureproof lining for the bottom and sides thereof, the bottom portion being constructed and arranged to retain liquid, and the side portions having water drainage openings formed therein and disposed along the top edges of the lower slats.

FRANK J. MCCANN. 

